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Emergency manager retiring; commissioners asked to consider hiring an administrative assistant to sustain disaster response capacity
Summary
Seward County’s emergency manager, who retires Monday, asked the commission to fund an administrative assistant capable of covering emergency operations center duties during disasters. He and interim staff described past gaps in coverage and argued for trained backup to preserve grant compliance and continuity.
Seward County’s emergency manager, whose retirement was announced during the session, urged the commission to approve funding for a trained administrative assistant who could serve as an operational backup during disasters.
Commission staff told the commission that Emergency Manager Greg Standard will retire Monday and that Tim (newly designated emergency manager) is asking to fill the administrative assistant position to preserve continuity. Speakers described the period during the COVID response when the office relied on borrowed staff and temporary help; the emergency manager said rotating loaned staff frequently left the office without sustained coverage during long, unpredictable incidents.
Tim and other emergency‑management staff said a local hire who could be trained to run an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and to prepare grant documentation would materially improve response continuity, reduce the risk of missed deadlines on grant reimbursements and provide resilience when the emergency manager is unavailable. They said training can take time, but that an assistant with basic emergency‑management training could handle many EOC tasks and maintain grant files while the manager is away.
Commissioners asked about candidate qualifications, certifications and whether current planning and zoning staff could absorb some duties. Staff replied that the administrative assistant would require specific emergency‑management certifications that current planning staff do not yet hold, though cross‑training and some shared administrative duties could help. The session did not produce a final hiring decision.
Ending: The commission will consider the administrative assistant request in the budget process and may revisit required certifications and cross‑training options in follow‑up meetings.
